Penile Mondor’s disease is a version of Mondor’s disease, often found in the wall of the chest. However, with penile Mondor’s disease, the thrombosis happens in the dorsal vein of the penis. Although Mondor first described the condition in the chest in 1939, Braun Falco, in 1958, first described inflammation of the walls of the dorsal veins of the penis within the context of generalized phlebitis.
Although thought to be rare (one study found an incidence of 1.28% of cases presented in an STD clinic), due to the strenuousness of some penis exercises, it is something that PEers should keep in consideration. Should you develop any signs or symptoms of Mondor’s disease, please see a medical practitioner as soon as possible.
Signs of Penile Mondor’s Disease
The first signs of Mondor’s disease are typically physical. They include:
There is often a hard, rope-like feeling to the superficial dorsal vein of the penis.
- There is often pain around the hardness. This pain may be episodic or a continuous throbbing sensation.
- Pain is often more severe during an erection.
- The pain may be so severe that sexual intercourse is not possible.
- Erythema and edema may be seen on the penile skin.
- Some patients feel a distention where the thrombosis is.
- Sometimes the patient is asymptomatic.
This condition is considered to be underdiagnosed and therefore under-reported. If you have the above symptoms, please tell your medical practitioner about Penile Mondor’s disease.
Diagnosis of Penile Mondor’s Disease
Diagnosis of penile Mondor’s disease can occur through a variety of ways.
- It may be diagnosed with medical history and physical examination.
- Color Doppler ultrasound examination is of importance in differential diagnosis.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) have also been used to diagnose the disease.
- Histopathological examination may also be helpful in diagnosis.
Mondor’s disease in the penis may be divided in three separate clinical stages: acute, subacute, and re-canalized.
Causes of Penile Mondor’s Disease
Mondor’s disease of the penis is most often caused by trauma to the penis or prolonged sexual activity.
The acute form of penile Mondor’s disease tends to develop in men between 20 and 40 years old, typically in 24 hours following prolonged sexual intercourse. It probably develops secondarily to vascular endothelial trauma.
Treatment of Penile Mondor’s Disease
In the acute stage, sexual activity should be restricted in addition to the use of anti-coagulant prescription. In many cases the patients experience relief in 4 to 6 weeks, with vein permeability within 9 weeks.
In the sub-acute and chronic stages, your doctor may also prescribe creams containing heparin and anti-inflammatory drugs. During these stages, the patient should be advised to restrict his sexual activity until the symptoms and severe pain disappear.
If a patient does not recover with this treatment, and if bloodflow is impeded, as shown in a Doppler exam, after the sixth week, a thrombectomy and resection of the penile vein may be needed. Only rarely is this surgical option needed.